The Final Days

And so, before I knew it, six months abroad were over and it was time for me to pack up the life I had created in Europe and board my plane home. My last few days in Paris were quite bittersweet.

A Night At The Opera

Those of us remaining in Paris for the last two weeks of June got all dressed up and went out for a night at the opera. This ended up being one of my favorite things I did while in Paris!

The Star of Paris

I had seen the Arc de Triomphe many times throughout the months I lived in Paris, visiting with friends or just passing it by, but I had never made my way to the top until my last week. Here's a few pictures I snapped while finally climbing to the top.

A Walk About Paris

I spent my last two weeks in Paris visiting places I had somehow not yet had a chance to visit, as well as a few of my favorite spots around the city. It was really nice to be able to explore the city without worrying about deadlines, class, or work. Here's a peak into a few of my adventures.

Monkey Crashers

On the group's last day in Paris, we were told about an awesome event that was going to happen that evening. Basically a group of "Monkey Crashers," representing the whiskey brand Monkey Shoulder, crash various bars and clubs around Paris, taking control of the place for an hour, playing music, games, and serving free drinks. When we heard about this, we knew we couldn't resist!

We're Doing It Live..

Our return from Italy marked the beginning of our last week together in Paris as a complete group. We decided to make the most of the week together, trying new things and doing our favorite things one last time. We relished being together in Paris for these last few days, adopting the motto "we're doing it live!"

The group after our final lunch on the last official day in Paris.

Straight To The Top!

Here's the story of one of the most thrilling and terrifying experiences of my life.

That Time I Took A Selfie with Mona Lisa..

Of course, going to the Louvre for the first time, I had to be a typical tourist a take a selfie with Mona Lisa.

Selfie (err.. célfie?) with ma girl!

AEPhi Takes Paris!

A few weeks ago, my friend and sorority sister, Sabrina, visited me during her spring break! She's a senior graduating this semester, so it was especially nice to have her visit me here in Paris, knowing that she won't be at school when I return in the fall.  We did loads of stuff during her time here so it won't all fit in one post. For this post I have pictures from various things we did during the week, where I only took a couple pictures, but it's still a pretty loaded post. I'll upload other posts that focus on single events (the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, for example) soon. So, here's a peak into the week AEPhi took on Paris!

Shakespeare And Company

As touristy as it is, Shakespeare and Company was one of the places I was most excited to visit when I came to Paris.  I'd heard about so many people going there and how cool the atmosphere and the arrangement of the store are.  It took me forever to finally visit but when I finally did, I absolutely loved it.

No pictures allowed inside so this is the only picture I have.

Spring Along the Seine

It is officially spring in Paris and I am loving it. I have always heard that spring is the most beautiful time of year in Paris so I've been (not so) patiently waiting for it to arrive since I came to Paris. The wait was worth it because when the sun is shining and the flowers are blooming, I can't help but spend every moment until the sun goes down outdoors.

Enjoying my lunch and the sunshine in Jardin Viviani.

Little Town, It's A Quiet Village

I know, I know. I'm the worst. I haven't updated this in so long. I've just been so busy with class, work, and exploring Paris now that the weather is nice that I haven't had the time. I actually don't really have the time right now but I couldn't let another day pass without updating this (and was looking for a good reason to procrastinate).

A few weekends ago a group of us decided to get out of Paris for the day.  With our lovely navigo (metro) passes, we're able to go almost anywhere in the Île-de-France region fo' free! Well, we pay for a monthly pass so it's not technically free but there is no extra cost so I'm going to consider it free. Anyways, technicalities aside, we get to swipe our navigos and hop on the train to wherever our hearts desire. That day it was Provins, a quaint medieval town about an hour and a half outside of Paris.

Breakfast in America

Don't get me wrong, I will never get tired of eating a croissant or pain au chocolate for breakfast. EVER. However, a few weeks ago, our group decided that we needed a change, or rather a return, to the breakfast we adore from back home.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Last weekend, a few of the other girls in the group and I decided to go to the Chinese New Year parade happening in the China Town section of Paris. I'd never been to a Chinese New Year celebration before and, after doing a bit of research, heard that this parade was a lot of fun.

My Favorite Time of Day

I always have a hard time deciding what my favorite season or my favorite time of day are.  I can narrow my favorite season down to autumn and spring. At times, I am completely certain of which season I enjoy most. But then, the season starts changing and I remember what I loved so much about the other. At least I'm able to narrow it down somewhat. With time of day, I am completely hopeless.

A Sunday in Paris

Just over a week ago, a few girls and I decided to visit the La Defense area of Paris. La Defense is the business district, as well as the more modern area of Paris.  There are many office buildings and skyscrapers that have the feel of New York City more so than Paris.

Montmartre!

The day we decided to make the trek up to Montmartre happened to be one of the most beautiful days since our arrival in Paris.  After several days of rain, the sun broke through the clouds and made a triumphant appearance, allowing us to enjoy climbing the stairs up to Sacré Cœur and roaming through the narrow streets of Montmartre.

A Day in the Life

As it's only been a few weeks, I'm still adjusting to life in Paris. Of course, it's a huge change that will take time to get used to and, as expected, there are numerous differences between my life at home and my life here.

Bienvenue à Paris

I've been in Paris for just over two weeks. I still don't believe that I've actually made it to Paris and am here for the next five months.  Studying abroad in Paris has been a dream of mine since I was a young girl and discovered that it was a possibility. It's always been a definite, never a question. Now that I'm here, it's surreal.

Time Flies

I had hoped to keep up with my blog regularly starting in London but, as I am now in Paris, that is clearly not the case. I still want to write about my time in London, though, so I think I'll write a few abbreviated posts about the time I spent there. London grabbed ahold of my heart almost immediately. I felt so at home and excited about everything I was doing while there. I could honestly see myself living in London one day, I don't think it's too far of a stretch. I'm finding it difficult to believe how quickly my time there went. I miss it dearly already, even though only a few days have passed since I was there and I'm now in Paris, so I'll be glad to relive my time there through the writing of my posts on here and my journals for the class!